Q: I have an old Walther .22 Hornet in as-new condition and am going to reload for it. Can you suggest which powders, primers and bullets I should use?Â
I need a load that will be deadly for rabbits, foxes and dogs.
Greg Lawson
A: The .22 Hornet’s most attractive features are its mild recoil and low report. However, I don’t like its design with a long neck and gently sloping shoulder. My favourite powder is Lil’ Gun, a mild powder that gives excellent results in the Hornet, but you may not find any now.
AR2205 and AR2207 can both be used for all bullet weights — 35gn up to 55gn.
Regardless of which powder you choose, work up your loads slowly as the difference between minimum and maximum loads is small. Work up in 0.1gn increments for safety’s sake.
I use standard Small Rifle primers and prefer 45gn bullets for all-round varminting — try starting with 10.2gn of AR2207, to a maximum of 11.5gn for around 741m/s (2430fps).
You can drive the 35gn Hornady V-Max at 945m/s (3100fps), but while it kills well on smaller game like rabbits and foxes, it is nowhere near as effective on bigger, tougher dogs and lacks punch much beyond 150m.
A couple of tips. I never run my cases through a full-length sizing die unless I have to, because in my experience neck sizing results in better accuracy.
Finish off your Hornet loads with a good crimp because the Hornet’s thin neck doesn’t get a tight enough grip on the bullet. This will result in more consistent velocities and better accuracy.
0 Comments